


Like A Strike of Lightning

by Daydreamer5187



Series: IronDad and SpiderSon [1]
Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Angst, Car Accidents, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Irondad, Mind Control, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 06:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18310031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daydreamer5187/pseuds/Daydreamer5187
Summary: Something is wrong with Tony Stark, but nobody notices. Nobody, that is, except Peter Parker.And it might just cost him his life.





	Like A Strike of Lightning

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, this is my first IronDad writing ever, so I'm really excited to hear what you guys think. I hope to continue writing IronDad feels, because Tony and Peter are obviously my favourite heroes in the MCU. :D 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own none of this, and make no profit whatsoever from my writing. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Here's the link to my Tumblr!](https://day-dreamer176.tumblr.com)

Rhodey watched as Tony added his third spoon of sugar into the coffee with an incredulous eyebrow.

“Tones.” No answer. “Hey, Tones!”

The engineer blinked a few times and focused his eyes onto Rhodey with a disgruntled sigh. 

“You don’t take sugar in your coffee dude,” Rhodey reminded the literal mess of a human being he’d chosen as his best friend. Tony blinked a few more times before falling into his regular casual suave.

“I _know_ how I take my coffee Rhodes, but I’m flattered you pay such acute attention to my actions. I’m trying new things, broadening my horizons, discovering a new age-”

“Not sleeping in favour of staying downstairs all hours of the night?” 

“And maybe a bit of that too, yeah,” Tony admitted sheepishly, his impish grin never fading.

Rhodey shook his head fondly despite his ever-concerned eyes doing a once-over over Tony’s whole body. He looked…fine; better than he’d seen him before, (which wasn’t saying much,) but worse than he’d looked in the past month or so.

He didn’t smell like booze, he rarely had since Peter had started to come over on an almost daily basis (bubbly, and kind and _alive_ ), and he looked surprisingly well fed, so Rhodey decided he had no need for his Stern Rhodey to make an appearance today. This was just normal Tony stuff, as soon as his next project was finished he’d sleep for a day and be right as rain again.

“Take care of yourself, man. You’re a frickin nuisance to look after sometimes.” The colonel said this with all the fondness in his heart.

“But I’m your nuisance, Honeybear!” Tony called behind his back, scooping up his coffee mug and walking out of the kitchen. 

Rhodey rolled his eyes and poured himself a cup of coffee. 

* * *

 

“Tony, stop being a child and get your butt to this meeting.” Pepper was furiously whispering into the phone, her fingers stiff against the cell in frustration.

“Pep, I could, but I really don’t want to. I have important business at the lab.”

“What could you possibly be doing that’s more important than meeting with the _most prominent potential investor_ of the new medical research facility?”

“A lot of things, I’m Tony Stark; genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist.” Pepper rolled her eyes, she honestly didn’t get paid enough to deal with this.

“Playboy? Really?”

“You can take the player out of the game, but you can’t take the game out of the player.”

She scoffed, “Well, unless you get here in the next five minutes, Hugh Hefner, you can have dinner alone tonight. Do not ruin this opportunity for the company, Tony.” She hung up before her stupid fiancé could reply.

Tony, to his credit, did show up to the meeting. He even had a bouquet of flowers to offer Pepper upon his arrival. This time, Pepper scoffed in appreciation.

“How did you get these so fast?”

“I know a guy who knows a guy,” he pecked her on the cheek before taking his place at the head of the table, “I’m sorry for my tardiness, gentlemen, let’s get this over with shall we?”

Pepper made a face, surprised. Tony must have realized how paper-fucking-thin the ice he was walking on was. Or he wanted to score tonight.

Both sounded a bit like Tony, but ice doesn’t harden _that_ fast.

 

* * *

 

Happy was going to regret asking but, “Hey, Tony, you’re uh- you’re in the back of the car.” 

The billionaire looked down at his seat and then back up to the bodyguard, as if just now realizing his position.

“I am, yes.”

“Is there a reason…?”

“Well, you’re my driver, aren’t you? I think driving’s your job Bud.”

Happy couldn’t contain the surprised grunt he let out, Tony _never_ let him drive (except when the kid was in the car). Even when he _was_ his driver, which was pretty annoying to be honest. Now that he was officially not the driver anymore, Tony wants to be a passenger? That was also pretty annoying, which is why Tony was doing it, Happy was pretty sure. Well, he wouldn’t let him win at this little game. If Tony Stark wanted to sit in the back like a proper snob he could do so at his leisure. 

“O-okay… That’s new, but sure. And I’m your Head of Security, not your driver.” 

“Same difference.” Happy huffed in annoyance and slid into the driver’s seat.

“Want me to pick up the kid?” Happy asked nonchalantly, already getting ready to put the signal on and pull to the right to exit to Midtown.

“Nah, this is a grown-up type of excursion I think, Haps.”

Happy almost crashed the car. Since when did Tony ever not want to be with Peter? Any chance he got he was spending time with the high-schooler.

“You sure…? We’re just going to the shipyard aren’t we?”

“Yeah, it’s not my day today anyways, right?”

Happy chuckled, “‘Your day?’ What, you get formal custody of him?”

“Keep wisecracking and I’ll be in a different type of custody real soon Old Boy, shut up and drive.”

Tony smirked into his hand, shaking his head as if offended. Happy knew he meant no harm, he never does. And ever since he’d started letting the kid spend a bit more time with him he’d been generally better natured. It was nice to see him happy.

Happy put his hands up defensively, appeasing Tony with the silence. The billionaire slouched against the leather of his seat, massaging his temples gently and sighing. Serves him right getting a headache; follies of fatherhood. He chuckled again, unbeknownst to the man in the back.

Secretly, in a deep dark corner of Happy’s heart, he kind of wished they were going to pick up Peter. He was kind of warming up to his company. Not that he’d ever admit that.

* * *

 

The alleged ‘Tony’s Day’ came along, as it did every Friday through Monday, unofficial as it may be. That meant Happy was spared the task of picking Peter up from school, as Tony enjoyed doing that himself.

At exactly 3:16 pm, just as it was every other week they’d done this, Peter bounced towards the black Bentley, curls pushed from his face with the breeze and his excitement. In a whirlwind of limbs and a backpack and a flurry of curls and essays and just _Peter,_ he was in the car.

“Hi Mr.Stark, I got an A on my essay in Philosophy, look!” Baby browns met Tony’s dark chocolate eyes, excited and trusting.

“That’s great Peter, mind shutting the car door?”

 “Oh… sure,” Peter’s volume died, his face crumpling in rejection that Tony couldn’t place. The teen reached out the car and pulled the door closed.

 Tony and Peter had a routine. When Peter got into the car he had to tell his mentor one good thing he’d achieved that day. Sometimes it was big things, like an A on an essay, sometimes it was small, like he’d been called on in class and had answered perfectly. (Tony knew that it helped with Peter’s anxiety, but never explicitly said that that was the reason he’d made the rule.) With big things, Tony was supposed to reach across and ‘close the car door’ like he had right after Germany.

 They were always ‘not there yet’ (except they totally were and Tony did it to hug Peter).

 The car pulled away from the school and started its descent back towards the Tower. It was relatively silent for a few moments, Peter kept glancing at Tony.

 “So what do you want to do when we get back to the tower, kid?”

 “We aren’t going to pick something up to eat?” Peter’s eyes didn’t look as trusting anymore.

 “Of course we are, I meant after that, unless you want to play a game of roulette with my cooking?”

 The kid huffed out a laugh and shook his head, feigning casualness while tensing up. “I would rather play roulette with a Russian, you can’t even call what you cook food.”

 “So that settles it, where we going Peter?”

 Peter watched as Tony’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. He hadn’t blasted AC/DC either, and forgot about the food, and the hug, and he _never_ called Peter by his actual name.

 Something was wrong. Peter felt a jolt of his Ned-named _Spidey-sense_ trigger the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. Tony just felt _wrong_.

 “Actually… I totally spaced Mr.Stark, and forgot that my aunt wants me home tonight. Her night-shift got moved to Monday, and she won’t be able to see me until then so she meant to call you and ask if we can change dates. I’m so sorry I forgot, Mr.Stark, you can just pull over and I’ll walk it.”

 Tony’s grip tightened again, his jaw clenched and under the sunglasses Peter saw his eyes harden.

 “You don’t want to come over?”

 “No, I do!” Peter assured, his eyes widening and voice hitching up a semi-tone. “Just, we can hang out another day, right?”

 “Something wrong Peter?”

 The superhero flinched at the name, it just sounded so harsh and wrong coming out of Mr.Stark’s mouth. He only called him Peter when he was angry or worried.

 “I don’t think so,” he mumbled in reply, “Are you feeling okay Mr.Stark?”

 “I’m fine kid, just worried about you, you’re acting a bit weird.”

 Peter _knew_ something was wrong with the mechanic, he felt it. This just… wasn’t Tony. He knew it was horrible and he knew he shouldn’t, just on the chance that he was just having a panic attack or something, but he could _feel_ it.

 “Mr.Stark… I don’t feel so good.” The man didn’t even twitch.

 Once, after the Snap had been undone, Peter had said it right before he was going to hurl. It was a stupid stomach flu, and he didn’t think of the last time he’d said that phrase until Tony had lost all the blood in his face and his eyes had gone all wide and haunted. He made sure he never said it again.

 This wasn’t Tony. Holyshitholyshitholyshit he needed to _get out of here._

 “Pull over,” the boy demanded, fear beginning to tinge his voice. “Pull over, now, I don’t feel good.”

 “Yeah, you don’t look so good, you can rest in the tower.”

 “N-no, just pull over, I want to go to the apartment. May’s there, she wants me home anyways.”

 “You sure, kiddo?” Peter might have been slightly reassured by the nickname, if he didn’t feel the metal of a repulser digging into his side. Tony was wearing his gauntlet, poised and ready to fire into Peter’s gut at any moment.

* * *

 

It’d started a week ago.

Tony heard an alarm go off upstairs; nothing major, just some motion sensors that were supposed to detect anything larger than a sizeable rat.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y what’s up there girl?” The mechanic stopped his tinkering to listen to her reply, wiping the sweat from his brow heavily.

“I do not have a camera positioned in a place where I can determine what the life form is. From heat signatures I would guess that it was from Earth.”

“Thanks Fri, real big help.”

“I might remind you that it was not I who placed the cameras,” the AI retorted, causing the faintest of smiles to grace Tony’s lips. “I can send someone from maintenance to check it out, if you wish.”

“Nah,” Tony threw down his tools, “I think I’ll just pop up and see for myself. There’s only so many times you can replace a parachute before it gets a bit boring.”

The billionaire strolled through the hallways, tone casual as he chatted with his AI.

“Perhaps if Mr.Parker would refrain from falling from such large heights on such a regular basis, the task would not seem so mundane.”

“If I could get the kid to stop trying to make a Spider-Pancake I would Fri, now lets go see what’s been tripping those pesky sensors.”

The mechanic threw the door to the roof open, taking a deep breath of the fresh air and Manhattan lights. The darkness shrouded all of the corners on the roof, leaving Tony to squint past the dim glow of the lights around him.

“Man, I really hope you’re just a particularly talented racoon,” he mumbled to himself. Something rustled behind a ventilation opening, catching the man’s attention. “Well, screw your courage to the sticking place, right? That worked out for Macbeth…” `

Tony took a breath and inched forward, letting the door shut behind him with a slam.

“Why am I afraid to check on this? I’m an Avenger, I can deal with a racoon.” He punctuated his statement by confidently striding forward towards the sound, only to jump two feet in the airwhen something banged against the ventilation. A large owl fluttered its wings and took to the sky, completely uncaring of the shaken inventor it left behind. “Bloody owls,” said inventor huffed, turning back towards the door.

He didn’t notice the thick black smog that had begun to roll towards him. Like a snake striking its pray, the smoke attacked.

It filled Tony’s eyes, mouth, ears, nose; his eyes widened in panic and he went to scream, only to find he couldn’t draw in any air. The smoke was suffocating him, smothering and invading him. It was unlike any pain he’d ever experienced before, profoundly physical but also excruciatingly mental.

His memories were this _thing’s_ to play with, and it was _tearing his brain in half._

Flashes of his happiest moments, Pepper smiling as she presented him his own gifted arc reactor, Rhodey smacking his arm playfully while the two of them trained together, his mother, singing gently to him, they were running at breakneck speeds in front of his eyes and this thing was _tainting_ them. Tony could feel it, like it was rubbing its evil all over his memories and taking them for itself.

It was absolute agony.

Then, the flash of a dimpled smile appeared, followed by a childlike laugh and the sound of tools as they tinkered with a suit.

 _No! You don’t get those! They’re mine, you can’t touch them!_ He screamed in his mind, clutching his fingertips into his hair as the smoke continued coming, coming, coming, invading his body without relent.

But the mind and body can only fight for so long, and this was a fight that even Iron Man couldn’t win.

When the man lost consciousness the only thing he could be glad about was a reprieve from the pain.

 

* * *

 

 

When Tony woke up he couldn’t move.

This, in itself, is a startling way to start your day, but what made it worse was his complete lack of ability to speak, or even open his eyes. What’s more, there was an awful pounding in his head, like a pressure that wouldn’t let up, a presence in his head that was as disturbing as it was powerful.

_Don’t fight me, Stark. You belong to me now._

Tony would have gasped had he had control of his body. He couldn’t even quicken his breathing, try as he might to stave off panic, for his body wouldn’t respond.

_I control your entire being, Stark, this will all be much easier if you just concede to my power._

**_What have you done to me?_ **

_I claimed you. You’re mine now; all you’ll be able to do from now on is watch as I live your life._

**_Why are you doing this?_ **

_Too many questions; I’d like you to be quiet now._

**_You can fuck right off if you think I’m going to take this without a fight. You can’t just invade somebody’s body and expect them-_ **

_Tony, do be quiet. I’d hate to have to do something drastic. You’ve got a cute little fiancée, what was her name? Pepper?_

  ** _Don’t you touch her-_**  

 _It wouldn’t be me, Tony, it would be you. Shame if anything happened to her._  

Tony mentally thrashed against the creature’s hold, but found there was no give in its control. 

_Calm down Stark. I won’t do anything, so long as you sit down and shut up._

Disgusted with himself, Tony Stark complied.

 

* * *

 

_I’ve seen your memories, I will adopt how you act and speak. No one will know about me being here, they will think I am you._

**_They’ll notice; my friends, Pepper…_ **

_Will they?_

* * *

 

“You’re a frickin nuisance to look after sometimes.” **_Rhodey, I’m here, that isn’t me! You’ve known me since college buddy, c’mon, notice something isn’t okay!_**

_Shut up Stark._

“But I’m your nuisance Honeybear!” 

 **_Rhodey, please. Please, help me._ ** 

The trapped superhero felt his captor’s satisfaction at his pleading, like it spurred it on, like it enjoyed his cries.

 

* * *

 

“Want me to pick up the kid?” **_No, no, no, no, no, please, we don’t need to get Peter._**

_Are you sure? I’d rather like to meet this young one for myself… You’ve been surprisingly resistant about letting me see him in your memories. If you won’t let me know him I’ll just have to meet him myself, right?_

Tony had long since succumbed to his fate, long had he stopped trying to get his family to notice something was amiss with the inventor. Now he pled for small mercies from this thing, like keeping Peter far away from it.

**_I get him every Friday through the weekend, please, don’t._ **

There was silence and Tony felt his conscious heart beat faster. (He’d discovered around Day Three that even though his actual body wasn’t reacting as he did, his conscious remembered fear, and remembered how it felt.)

“Nah, this is a grown-up type of excursion I think, Haps.” **_Thank you._**

_You can’t keep him from me forever._

* * *

 

Admittedly, since this thing had taken him Tony had been scared. But, on Friday afternoon he was terrified.

He kept watching the clock as it inched closer and closer to 3:16.

 Right on time, like always, Peter was there. Tony could feel the thing’s elation.

_I’m anxious to meet your son._

**_He isn’t my son._ ** 

_Blood doesn’t matter to me._

“Hi Mr.Stark, I got an A on my essay in Philosophy, look!” **_That’s great Bud, I knew you had that one down._**

“That’s great Peter, mind shutting the door?”

Tony saw the disappointment, saw the hurt in Peter’s eyes and heard it in his voice. It hurt, almost as much as when he lost him. (He was losing him again.)

 _Cute kid._  

**_You don’t know him. You don’t know the half of it._ **

Tony could barely hear what the thing and Peter were saying, he was so focussed on Peter’s face. He watched his kid like he’d never seen him before.

His eyes shifted, he was scared; could he… tell?

Sure, there were little things the creature was getting wrong, but no one else had noticed. Everyone had put it off as Tony going through a weird patch, but Peter never looked at Tony the way he was now.

Then he tried to leave. 

Tony could feel his captor’s anger. It terrified him.

_What have you done to make him afraid of me?_

**_I haven’t done anything! You would know if I had._ **

_You’ve shrouded the child from me; how do I know there is not something you have done?_

The creature sent a jolt of pain through Tony’s mind causing the man to scream out in agony. He ‘breathed’ in and out, trying to control the lingering flashes of pain.

“Are you feeling okay Mr.Stark?” God, _Peter_ , jump out of the car if you don’t feel safe, _please._  

“I’m fine kid, just worried about you, you’re acting a bit weird.”

“Mr.Stark… I don’t feel so good.” The sentence hit Tony like a truck, and it sickened him that he could feel the creature’s indifference because how can he possibly be so unaffected when Tony lost everything in that moment?

But when the creature didn’t react Tony saw the panic settle in his eyes. He knows.

“Pull over. Pull over, now, I don’t feel good.”

**_Let him go. Please, he does this sometimes, just pull over._ **

_He knows. He is going to be a thorn in my side; I will deal with him._

“Yeah, you don’t look so good, you can rest at the tower.”

“N-no, just pull over, I want to go to the apartment. May’s there, she wants me home anyways.”

“You sure, kiddo?” Tony realized the repulser was out the same time Peter did. **_No!_** His voice was thick with desperation, guttural and instinctive. **_No, don’t hurt him, please don’t!_**

 _Keep annoying me and I’ll blend his insides._  

“You’re not Mr.Stark.” _Clever kid Stark, it’s too bad I’ll have to kill him when this is over._

Tony fought harder than he’d ever fought the control. His begging had descended into inarticulate howls.

“He’s here, like an annoying wasp in my ear most of the time, but nevertheless here. An unfortunate side effect of my occupancy, I’m afraid, is that I can never shut my host up. But I’m _sure_ I don’t need to _remind him_ what I’ll do if he doesn’t _quiet down.”_ Not-Tony hissed and dug the repulser further into Peter’s side, letting the nanites form a small blade. It cut the teen, the dotting of blood beginning to show through his school shirt like blooming rose petals.

**_Stop hurting him! I’ll be quiet! Please stop!_ **

_Shut up._

_…_

“Blessed mercies, he’s quiet.”

“What did you do to him?” Peter’s voice was tight and angry as he watched whatever this monster was control his mentor’s body.

It looked like him, sounded like him, but it was so very not Mr.Stark that Peter was sure this experience and all the other’s he’d had with Mr.Stark wouldn’t cross themselves in his mind at all.

“You humans are a fickle bunch; it doesn’t take much for me to get into your vulnerable minds but once I’m there, God help me if I try and make it my own. You all just stay there, yelling at me. I wanted this body for myself; I took it, but I can’t have all of it. Your ‘Mr.Stark’ hid you from me, as much as he could.”

Peter ignored the tirade, focussing instead on the passing buildings from the car window. The sun was blaring down at him and the buildings were passing by in a blur. Like a slap in the face Peter suddenly realized-They were leaving the city.

“Where are you taking me?”

“That isn’t your concern. Tony needs to make a phone call now, and you’re going to do your part in it.” Peter glared at the man. “I don’t even need to threaten you do I? Because all it takes is this,” Tony took the repulser away from Peter’s side and put it against his own, “and you’ll do what I say, won’t you?”

Even the creature noticed the shift in the boy, how his expression changed from anger to fear. Peter nodded stiffly. “I won’t do anything.”

Tony nodded, pressing the button on the steering wheel to make a call. The dial tone rang twice before Ms.Pott’s voice filled the car. “Tony? What’s up, I thought you were picking Peter up from school?” 

“Hi Babe, yeah, I picked him up but we’re not going to go back to the tower, gonna spend a little mentor-mentee bonding time.”

“Oh, alright. I’ll see you later tonight then, hi Peter!”

Peter went to answer but found the words stuck in his throat, he cleared the blockage and answered in a squeak. “Hi Ms.Potts!”

She chuckled and replied, “I’ll see you two later, don’t burn the city down.”

The phone call clicked off and so did Peter’s last chance of communication.

“Can I talk to Mr.Stark?”

“No. If it is any comfort to you, know that he is being more of a nuisance than usual because you are here.”

The blade had returned to Peter’s side, cold and threatening. Peter assumed Mr.Stark was saying something. His Spidey-senses flared again, getting dangerously close to a sensory overload.

There were so few cars on the road now, this creature had taken them onto some industrial backroad, and it made Peter nervous. The sun was beginning to set by now, Peter hadn’t realized hours had gone by. Everything pointed to the terrifying realization that this thing wasn’t planning on letting Peter go.

It must have shown on his face because Not-Tony smirked at him, “You must understand why I cannot let you go, you would ruin everything.” Something flickered on his face, just for a moment, but Peter saw it. He could only pray that it was Mr.Stark.

“Mr.Stark?” The teenager hated how afraid and how young he sounded, but he couldn’t help it. “Mr.Stark I know you’re in there, _please_ , fight it.”

The blade dug further into his side, “Shut _up_ kid _,_ you are making him agitate me.”

“Please,” a tear fell onto Peter’s cheek, surprising the young hero. “Please Mr.Stark, I know you can do it…” 

But he didn’t, not really. Peter trusted Tony unconditionally, loved him like a son loved a father, but he didn’t know if it was even possible to shake whatever this was off; plus, it may be too late if he does.

“But if you can’t, just - just remember that I don’t blame you, okay? This isn’t you.” He shuttered in a shaky breath, eyes filling with unshed tears again. “Thank you for bringing me back, and for being the best, well, everything I could I ask for. I love you.”

And that was it, because the tingling had become full on tremors of danger reception, and it _hurt_ , and it meant something was coming.

“That’s enough of that, time’s up ki-” Peter watched half in horror half in hope as Tony’s face scrunched up in pain and he grunted, after a few pained breaths the man looked up and Peter almost cried because it was _familiar._ “Peter?”

“Mr.Stark!” Peter gasped in relief, shifting towards his mentor excitedly. “I knew you could do it-” 

Tony grunted in pain, yelling in frustration as he began to lose control. 

“Peter, _Peter_ , baby,” his voice was rushed but gentle, “I’m go-going to undo your seatbelt Bud, okay? And then when I slow the car down you’re going to jump out and run as fast as those spider legs can take you okay? I nee-need you to do this, I don’t have much time.” Tony’s frantic fingers clicked the release of his kid’s seatbelt, while Peter pulled the lock of the car door, nodding numbly.

The car gave a sudden jerk as Tony lost control, the billionaire’s arm flailed and sliced deeply into the teen’s side. Peter wailed in surprise and pain, watching with wide eyes as the bed of rose petals quickly became solid red.

**_No! Kid! I’m so sorry… Jesus Christ, he’s a child!_ **

_I am ending this now._  

**_No! I am begging you. Please!_ **

Now that he knew it was possible Tony Stark fought like mad to take over his body’s movements. He was flashing in and out of control, in absolute agony the entire time. His body was yelling in pain, jerking like a madman as the two fought for control. 

Peter was clutching his side, hissing through the pain. “Mr.Stark?”

The man slammed his foot onto the brake.

 Peter, having no seatbelt on, went through the windshield.

_“Peter!”_

* * *

Tony was wrong.

When he had first been attacked by this thing he had thought that there was no worse pain than that; he was wrong.

This, this, right now, was worse than anything he could have imagined. Seeing his - god dammit - his _kid_ go through the windshield and _knowing_ it was his own fucking fault because _he was the one who’d undone Peter’s seatbelt._

It may have been the creature in control when the brake was hit, but if he was dead it was Tony’s fault.

**_How could you? Let me go to him._ **

_There is no point in that._

The thing sounded so pleased with itself. Tony was crying, a profound spiritual pain radiating through his core. He wailed, because he could _see_ Peter on the side of the road, and _he wasn’t moving._

He looked so broken. 

**_No! You know what? Fuck this and fuck you, that is_ my kid _and you hurt him. I am_ done _with this. I have been controlled my whole life asshole, I am_ not _letting you control me anymore. Not when my kid is at stake._**

And Tony fought. He fought through the pain the creature sent his way, and the muscle spasms, and even when he felt himself regain control of his body’s movements he kept fighting. He fought until he felt himself retching, mouthful after mouthful of the black smog pouring away.

His body was verging on collapse, like it had when it’d taken him, but he had to be stronger this time, because this was _Peter_ they were betting.

Like the crack of lightning, it stopped. 

Tony was left clutching the steering wheel of the Bentley, breaths coming heavy, and the dull memories of the pain seeping into his bones.

He won.

But he only basked in it for a moment before he was scrambling out of the car. He hit the pavement on all fours, making a mad dash for the prone form sprawled against the pavement. 

Tony crashed to the ground beside him, taking in all the injuries. Peter’s face was a bruised and bleeding mess, his side sodden with his blood, and his chest was just a black splotch. He broke ribs when he went through the windshield; he could be bleeding internally. Cuts littered the entirety of his body, and Tony knew from experience that Peter would have severe road burn if he turned him over. 

“F.R.I.D.A.Y?” Tony sounded lost. He didn’t know what to do. “Please tell me you have help on the way.”

“Approximate time of arrival is 15 minutes sir,” the AI replied.

“That isn’t fast enough!” The mechanic cried, pulling the teenager into his arms. “Hey Petey, you’ve got to wake up now. C’mon, wake up.” There was blood _everywhere._ Tony desperately pressed his hand against the wound in Peter’s side, he didn’t even twitch. “You’ve gotta use those superpowers now Bud, show me how amazing you are at healing yourself. Show me your eyes, just _please,_ show me something.”

Some of the bruising was fading already, that had to be a good sign, right? He was so _small._

Tony could hear the sound of a suit coming towards them. “Hear that kid? That’s help, they’re going to fix you up so you’re perfect again alright? And then you can tell me about that Philosophy paper yeah? I’m so proud that you got an A, but I’m not surprised at all. You’re so smart Peter, _please._ ”

 _“Tony.”_ Heavy footfalls followed the colonel’s concerned voice as he ran to the pair.

“Rhodey, please! He needs help…” Tony had long passed the mark of sobbing. He offered the boy in his arms to his best friend, looking up at him with all the trust in the world that he could save him.

“Okay, alright, we need to get you help too though, alright?”

“ _No,_ just him, just take him.”

“Tony I need to make sure you’re sa-”

“He’s _dying_ Rhodey, I’m okay, but he’s running out of time! Take him and stop wasting the precious few minutes we have!”

Rhodey looked conflicted until his military instincts kicked in and he nodded tersely. “Okay, but another suit is on its way I want you back and in the Medbay as soon as possible, got it?”

 Tony nodded, exhausted. Rhodey cradled his package gently and launched himself back into the air. Tony nearly sobbed with relief because it was finally _over._

When the suit came, it was encasing an unconscious man.

 

* * *

 

 

When Peter woke up he was warm, and his blankets were soft, and a weight had settled against his arm and it soothed him even more.

 _Medbay_ his brain supplied.

He hadn’t been in here for a while, was probably some kind of record.

The weight on his arm shifted, and Peter realized it was a person. In fact, it was Mr.Stark. The events of the past few hours came back to him in a flash and involuntarily he jerked up with a gasp.

Mr.Stark was immediately awake, carding his hands through his hair and making shushing noises. This left Peter deeply confused.

“M’ster Stark?” He grumbled, letting his head lull into his hand.

“Oh, hey Petey, you’re awake this time.” The hand stopped, but didn’t remove itself from his hair. Peter liked it, it made him feel safe.

“Mm?” Mr.Stark knew what he meant.

“You were really hurt kid, you’ve been sleeping for the past two days.” Peter could hear the guilt in his mentor’s voice, the self-loathing and the worry.

“I’m okay.”

“Yeah, you are now Buddy. Your healing factor did a lot of the work for us, and Dr.Cho did the rest.”

“Car.” Pain flashed over Tony’s face, Peter didn’t mean to do that. The hand removed itself from his hair, the teen instantly missed it.

“ _God,_ I’m so sorry Peter. I never should have- _Christ._ ”

“Not your fault.”

“I took off your seatbelt; I was _so stupid._ ”

“Trynna _save_ me. You always take care of me,” Peter’s voice was drugged and mumbly but he knew the inventor could understand him. 

“Doing a piss-poor job of it, but I’ll keep trying. You saved _me_ though, undoubtedly. You’re the only one who noticed something was up.”

Peter smiled and Tony almost teared up, “Not Mr.Stark, Mr.Stark doesn’t forget food.”

“No, I don’t Buddy,” Tony chuckled, “You should rest. I’ll see you later, alright?”

Tony was about to turn his back on the hospital bed when a hand clasped his suddenly.

“Never got to tell you about m’essay.” Tony heard the statement for what it was, Peter asking him to _stay_.

“Oh yeah, I heard you got an A, I’m proud of you. Why don’t you tell me about it?” Tony reclaimed his chair beside Peter’s bed, not letting go of his hand.

Peter smiled, relaxing back into the sheets, “The topic was on if death was evil, so I said for my thesis…”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you guys enjoyed the story! I couldn't resist a lil Tony and Peter fluff at the end. Please tell me what you thought of it, your feedback is so valuable to me, and don't be shy messaging or contacting me, either on here or on Tumblr. Thank you so much for reading and I hope to see you again soon! 
> 
> [Here's the link to my Tumblr!](https://day-dreamer176.tumblr.com)


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